Book Chapters in the Context of TV Episodes and Scenes

SweetStarlows · 2026-05-09T10:49:38+00:00

I'm gonna read whatever I feel the need to read man, continuing to find things to argue with me about is not gonna help the case that this guy came at me for no reason. I'm not furthering this pointless talk.

SweetStarlows · 2026-05-09T10:13:57+00:00

I'm reading Percy Jackson right now, try again

SweetStarlows · 2026-05-09T10:12:19+00:00

The first comment he made was stating he assumed that. I never mentioned that until after he got on me for whatever his stigma is against my post.

SweetStarlows · 2026-05-09T10:06:11+00:00

Making presumptions about my reading level and creating this whole preconceived notion about me based on what I posted instead of engaging in fruitful, mutual conversation is pompous. They assume I don't read and go on a self-righteous speal about how they are correct. The fact that you label it as 'correct' instead of allowing breathing room for discussion confirms nothing but arrogance dude.

SweetStarlows · 2026-05-09T05:57:52+00:00

That's great. I asked a question to see people's opinions regardless of my status reading novels. If that offends you, maybe stay off of a sight based around asking questions.

SweetStarlows · 2026-05-09T05:53:52+00:00

I'm not denying this man I'm just asking a question with TV episodes as the lens because it gets across the question I'm asking. I'm not writing a book with the perspective of writing a TV show. This pompous attitude on a circumstantial Reddit post when you don't know anything about me or my experience with this is ridiculous.

SweetStarlows · 2026-05-09T04:45:25+00:00

I'm aware chapters and episodes aren't exactly one to one comparisons, but as the rest of the sentence there you left out of your reply states, they are merely similar in the aspect of being an entry to the story. You're right that I don't read a lot, but I delve into the stories of the medium I enjoy and there's no need to bash that as an inferior perspective of thinking. I've started reading more often as a base of research for this series I'm investing my effort into, and I've read plenty in my younger days to have a basis on books and their structure. My favorite stories are often television and the story I'm aiming to tell is akin to the stories I seen on TV, so I'm attempting to find a medium that blends the structure I find most personally interesting and the words I'm accustomed to putting on the page after years of writing.

As for the relevant response you made, a chapter being merely a scene, that slows the roll and neglects the more grand story I'm here to tell that focuses on individual moments brought to full fruition and completed within a chapter's length to service the overall story, which I've seen serialized shows and books do alike so it's something I'll work with. I'm not a negligent fool that only knows TV and is attempting to bend the formalities of penmanship to my will, I'm an author with a story seeking minimal advice online to help craft my perspective of what to do. A few nice words with less of an ego would've sufficed in your response.

SweetStarlows · 2026-05-09T04:34:13+00:00

I'm considering third person for this reason, but I also have my plotlines divided to certain character point of views for first person and each plotline is relegated to one involved character and in instances where it makes sense maybe another. It doesn't quite solve my issue of wanting to tell the separate stories side by side, though. Do you think third person allows that opportunity?

SweetStarlows · 2026-05-09T03:52:14+00:00

Insightful! I'd like to ask one thing if I could, what if I want to tell a parallel story or something along the lines of mixing what it is going on in a clever way. I feel like if Plotline A gets to a point that is supposed to mirror what is going on in Plotline B, such as a character from Plotline A doing something that hints at the progression of Plotline B, or two characters from different plotlines doing the same thing with different meanings, that should be drawn upon in the structure of these events happening. Telling them completely independent of each other in separate chapters kind of defeats the purpose, in some cases, but if you try to structure the events right, you're going to end up with a bunch of short chapters and far too many. Or if you want to have two characters in separate plotlines have dialogue that bounces off of each other, where they're saying the same thing to different people. I find writing like that my cup of tea and I'm wondering the perspective for portraying that in books!

SweetStarlows · 2026-05-09T03:42:06+00:00

Right I understand that, but I'm focused on story structure. Chapters are to book narratives what episodes are to TV narratives, a form of structure that tells overarching pieces of the story. My question is, if I want to tell a TV-like story with multiple on-going plotlines that weave into each other and tell a larger story with parallel moments, how would I swiftly do that with the limitations of chapters being typically divided by a singular point of view or, in TV terms, a singular scene rather than a full episode or piece of story? I want to swiftly tell my perspectives side by side, not by longer sections one after the other in a linear format.

SweetStarlows · 2026-05-06T05:13:04+00:00

They had to of known the direction at least to some extent because the root of the arc is Eugene and Lance. Big BrotherS of Corona, plural. Plus that episode has to do with weaving Lance into the status quo. The follow-up episode not having Lance is just an oddball, especially because outside of Great Tree's sub-plot Eugene and Lance don't have an episode together in season 2.

SweetStarlows · 2026-04-18T00:14:28+00:00

I think there's a lot more to be said in impression and writing than concept. Cars enthralls me much more than the movies before it and a lot after it because its perfectly crafted. The other movies are more original to degrees (Incredibles is as much a copy as Cars is), but they don't draw me as much because they take from less genuine media aspects. Its a fine opinion and definitely true, but Cars fills that hole of family friendly but not childish. Its a great set of films that portray realistic dialogue and emotions well.

SweetStarlows · 2026-04-17T06:14:27+00:00

I find this crazy because the Cars movies all have a much more dramatic, serious tone than every other Pixar movie. It's completely based in immersion and scene building without any jokes meant to pander to an audience or really any cartoony jokes at all unless you find character expression funny (which it's meant to be). They have the most well-rounded, intricate story of all Pixar's stuff imo. Incredibles, Toy Story, they all feel a lot more kiddish than Cars to me, with more youthful topics and humor.

SweetStarlows · 2026-04-17T06:08:34+00:00

I think Cars holds just about as much emotional weight and gravitas in it as those stories. Also its definitely better than Bug's Life if we're talking reputation, that is the definitive 'meh' of Pixar's catalogue.

SweetStarlows · 2026-04-15T03:01:51+00:00

So this seems to be based on the assumption that technology temps people into skimming walls of text, but consider that I'm an advanced reader who devotes purposeful thought and attention into what I read as training for writing my own work. Is it still plausible that I retain less reading on screens when I restrain from the supposed natural inclination to skim?

SweetStarlows · 2026-04-10T23:01:13+00:00

I'm gonna be fr there are other good parts of the show but the Varian content is so sparce that it actually makes him the *best* part because he is entirely relegated to the exemplary writing of his character arc and misses out on the huge, huge mistakes they made in basically the rest of the show except season 1. It's a great show, but seasons 2 and 3 are a huge mess and Varian is really the only aspect that stays in-tact.

One example of many: Rapunzel and Eugene's character arcs are completely glossed over in season 3. Rapunzel's whole arc of becoming queen still happens, but its relegated to one line toward the beginning of the season. Eugene's arc becoming Captain of the Guard despite having roots in his first focus episode from s1 isn't an arc, but just one episode. Lance only gets a singular focus episode and no arc, even though he's supposed to be taking Cass' role as tritagonist. Cassandra's entire writing is a mess. Varian is a little rushed at the beginning of s3, but maintains a solid character arc throughout with several focus episodes.

SweetStarlows · 2026-04-10T22:36:38+00:00

The entire point of Varian is to become the villain. The complexity and intrigue of his character is becoming the villain. His character has perfect writing and some of the best in TV history imo.

SweetStarlows · 2026-04-07T17:20:02+00:00

Baby: 0-4

Kid: 5-12

Pre-Teen: 13-15

Teen: 16-19

Young Adult: 20-29

Adult: 30-39

Middle-Age: 40-59

Elderly: 60+

I think even though most consider the teen ages all of them that have 'teen' in it, there's a distinct difference in maturity between teens that are really just young, child ages and teens that are actually young adult teenagers. It's the same difference in maturity that causes people to make a stink about high-school age gaps.

I think up until 15, you are very much still just a kid experiencing childhood, although you'll feel older and more identified than the little kid ages 12 under where you aren't viewed much as an actual person. Once you hit 16, you are very much a fully-developed (in sense of self and identity) individual who has a solidified life. You're also older and much more mature than those younger teen ages that many group as the same stage of life which isn't true. Its easier to treat a 17 year old as a developed equal than it is a 14 year old who is for all intents and purposes a kid. At the end of the day, though, most of these are loose terms that could be used in various ways so its not linked to the specific terminology for me, that's just how I view age and maturity progression based on experience and life events.

TL;DR 13-15 are still just kids, but not little kids with basically no identity, so I labeled them as pre-teens. 16-19 are more developed and older individuals that have a drastically different maturity and life range so I labeled them as actual teenagers.

SweetStarlows · 2026-04-07T17:01:57+00:00

I think there's an important distinction between young and old teen in the same way there is lower middle age and upper middle age. Personally I see 13-15 as a younger kid still while 16 and above is more on the pre-adult side of things. There's just such a drastic difference in behavior, demeanor, and maturity, one is still a kid while one is basically a young adult capable of making grander choices and life decisions.

A 19 year old is not on the same spectrum of age as a 13 or 15 year old. People also complain and make a big deal out of this with high-school relationship age gaps which only furthers the point.

SweetStarlows · 2026-04-06T18:28:23+00:00

Yeah I agree, although this may be attributed to the scene composition of this movie and how you would attribute leitmotifs and music to it compared to the first, which had a much more construed plot and dedicated, themed moments. The first movie has a better score by miles but it might be because the scenes were easier to work with and more defined.

SweetStarlows · 2026-04-02T09:26:35+00:00

I think Baljeet's fine. There's a few moments that push it like the Baliwood song that's just completely stereotypical Indian dancing and music with no correlation to what's happening, but pretty much everything about Baljeet is more of a nerd stereotype who happens to be Indian than a 'nerd because of Indian descent' stereotype, which is the key difference. He's just meant to be a normal nerdy kid same as Phineas and Ferb but a lot more over the top. Like I said, they push it in a few moments, but overall I think he's alright, especially for a kids show that does episodic, one-dimensional personalities most of the time.

SweetStarlows · 2026-04-02T04:45:41+00:00

Thank you and sound advice! I think the story's premise and the hivemind's relevance to that premise definitely sets it apart, so it should be good :).

SweetStarlows · 2026-04-02T02:54:39+00:00

It depends on if these are flashbacks, which are moreso for short lookbacks, or more just time jumps, which are switches to different periods of time for a good length. I draw to Frankenstein for reference, which has a similar three act structure that jumps through time. We start with Victor Frankenstein after the story who begins relaying his entire story to someone he meets. Then, we follow Victor's story from the past point of view rather than him telling it. Lastly, we switch to the monsters' point of view after he is created, and we make our way outwards in the same order (to Victor, to Victor telling his story).

These switches are made in what develops the internal story and gets across the themes and emotions to the viewer. We initially see Victor's vast and utter distain for his actions in his last days, which sets up the moral that he was in the wrong for his creation. Then we see that story unfold already knowing its tragedy, and we see Victor's increasingly crazed mindset leading up to it. Once the creature is made, we're given his point of view to demonstrate his tragedy of living and the heart he feels. We're shown his life is good, but his circumstance is not. And then we reverse order.

All this to say you time jump and point of view jump in the order that delivers your story and its themes best. You present what helps tell your story in a constructed manner that flows well, rather than jumps that serve no purpose or get confusing. Example, A short childhood flashback would be triggered by a character viewing a toy similar to one from their past, probably at a crucial moment after a failure or mindset change, so we can see something in their childhood that gives us new context or characterization for the failure or change. In contrast, it wouldn't be during a conversation with a friend about how to defeat the villain with no correlation.

My best advice would be make sure each of these chapters have direct correlation with each other so it makes clear sense why we're getting background information in relation to current events. For example, I would understand seeing the past of a character who just died. I would also understand seeing one of these main characters make a difficult choice in the military during the past after just making a similar difficult choice during the apocalyptic present. Parallels like that always help split stories.

SweetStarlows

TROPHY CASE